Positive shutoff dispensing nozzle



Nov. 22, 1949 c. B. GRAHAM Erm. 2,489,028

POSITIVE SHUTOFF DISPENSING NOZZLE Fild March 17, 1945 llllllm ...Ulli

, IN VEN TOR. 2/{72 o 72 .D Car' ver @Q4/ MM Patented Nov. 22, 1949 POSITIVE SHUTOFF DISPENSING NOZZLE Clifton B. Graham and Vinton D. Carver, Oak Ridge, Tenn., assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission Application March 17, 1945, Serial No. 583,279

13 Claims. (Cl. 62-1) This invention relates to liquid dispensing apparatus and is particularly concerned with a liquid dispensing nozzle of the type used for filling containers or the like wherein the dispensing nozzle embodies a valve which is manually opened and which automatically closes in response to the container becoming filled up with the liquid being dispensed to avoid overiiowing and splashing, In the past it has been the practice to provide some tvpe of spring actuator to close the valve when the container iills up, the actuator be ing automatically controlled by some type of power device operable to automatically release a latch or actuate a trigger. Various types of vacuum arrangements involving aspirators and the like have been employed in the past to motivate the power device.

An object of our invention is to provide a power device for controlling the automatic closing mechanism of the valve wherein the power or force is supplied bv the pressure of the vapor of the iiuid being dispensed in a manner to insure positive and unfailing action of the mechanism.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an arrangement as stated in the foregoing wherein the iiuid being dispensed is a readily vaporizable liquid so that there is ordinarily available a supply of vapor of the liquid under suiiicient pressure so that it is suitable for use for motivating the power device.

Another object of our invention is to provide a liquid dispensing nozzle embodying a valve having an automatic closing mechanism responsive to pressure in which the pressure is supplied by the fluid being dispensed and which is controlled by a pilot valve responsive to the'lling up of the container into which the liquid is being dispensed.

Further objects of our invention and numerous of its advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawing wherein Figure l is a cross sectional view of a liquid dispensing nozzle embodying the automatic closing mechanism of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Our invention is particularly adaptable to dispensing nozzles for use in dispensing highly vaporizable liquid such as liquidnitrogen which is commonly used in liquid nitrogen traps in high vacuum systems for freezing out moisture from the air within the systems. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to use with liquid nitrogen.

Referring to Fig. 1, numeral I designates the liquid nitrogen dispensing valve, the valve having a stem 2 extending upwardly into the housing 3 within which is the manual and automatic mechanism for operating the dispensing valve. The valve I is of conventional construction, the

inlet being at the right and the outlet at the leftand the port being designated by numeral 46. The valve member 41 seats upwardly and is urged in seating direction by a coil spring 48 which surrounds a guide stem H9 which extends downwardly from the valve member into a guide bearing 50 in the lower part of the valve casing. As shown, the housing 3 is separate from the valve body, being connected thereto by a tube I with the valve stem sealed by a Sylphon bellows E. The stem 2 may be depressed to open the valve I by means of a handle 6 which has a lug I which fulcrums on the top of frame or housingr 3 and to which is linked a latch member 8 which has a notch 9 in its center portion adapted to engage a roller on a rod IG. Surrounding the member B is a coil spring II which bears against a dise I2 held in place with a cotter pin I3.

The operation of the manual valve opening mechanism as so far described is that when it is desired to open the valve i. handle S is merely depressed and this causes the vhandle to turn about'its pivot. that is fulcrum l, the stem 2 being thus depressed to move valve I in opening direction against the biasing spring 48 which normally urges it in closing direction. When handle B is released valve member 41 is seated by spring 43.

` The mechanism for causing the valve to automatically close when the liquid nitrogen trap is lled includes an expansible bellows I5 within the left end of housing 3, the bellows being sealed to a flange I6 ertendine` from a nlug or disc member I1 which closes the end of housing 3. being held in place by screws I8. Member II is recessed at I9 as shown and attached to the flange adjacent thereto is a closure member 20 held in place by screws 2l, there being a diaphragm 22 secured at its edges between the member 20- and the flange of member I1 to which it is screwed. Engaging the center of member I1 is a screw ythreaded nipple 25 having a central oriiice as shown, the left end of the nipple being flat and normally bearing against the center of diaphragm 22 so that the diaphragm and the end of the nipple form a valve or variable leak port for controlling the rate of bleed or leakage from within the interior of the bellows I5. The movable end of bellows I5 carries a yoke member 26, the arms 0f which straddle member 8 and the pin I0 ex- 3 tends transversely through the arms as may be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, so that yoke 26 is operable on the rod I to move it out of the notch 8 when the bellows l5 expands, moving the yoke 2B to the right. The arms of yoke 26 are connected at their ends as shown on Fig. 2 so member 26 is actually simply a bar with a rectangular opening therein. The rod I0 is attached to the ends of resilient spring brackets 21 upstanding from the bottom of housing 3. The upper ends of members 21 are narrowed (see Fig. 3) and curled over or around rod or pin I8 outside of yoke 28. Pin I0 has a head on one end and a cotter pin at the other 4to hold it in place. The roller on pin I0 is between the arms of yoke 26 to reduce friction in movement into and out of notch 9. Brackets 21 are attached by screws 53 to a bracket 5I which.is attached to the bottom of housing 3 by screws 52.

The orifice in the nipple 25 acts as a pilot valve for controlling the pressure within the bellows I5 and to thereby'control the automatic closing of valve I. The pressure connections whereby the bellows is operated will next be described.

Numeral represents diagrammatically a supply tank of liquid nitrogen. The tank 30 is connected to the valve I by a pipe 3| having a surrounding jacket 32 and the space between the pipe and the jacket is connected to the vaporized nitrogen in the top of tank 30 by tubes 33 and 34. The nitrogen in the jacket space serves to keep the pipe 3l cool and to cause the nitrogen passing to the valve I to be entirely in the liquid state. The space within the jacket 32 is connected by tubes 35 and 36 and through a manual valve 31 to 'the interior of bellows I5. A branch connection 38 from tube 35 leads to a manually adjustable bleed port 39, and the outlet of 3 9 is connected by tubes 40 and 4I to the spaceon the left side of diaphragm 22. Numeral 42 designates a bleed connection so that vaporized nitrogen bleeding through the bleed port 39 can bleed oi through 42 as shown, the pressure developed on the left side of diaphragm 22 depending upon the rate of bleed. The space on the right side of dlaphragm'22 can be bled oil through a tube 43 as shown.

The outlet of valve I connects to the dispensing nozzle 44 as shown, the nozzle having a shield 45 and the bleed tubes 42 and 43 extending down f into the nozzle as shown and bleeding out through the side of the nozzle, the bleed tube 42 extend-- both sides of the diaphragm through the tubes described. Thus, the diaphragm 22 is not urged against the end of the nipple 25 and pressure is free to bleed out from the interior of bellows I5 through the orifice in thenipple 25. When the nozzle 44 has been inserted in the liquid nitrogen trap, and the valve I manually operated as described above, the liquid level in the trap willA urged against the end of nipple 25 and sealing the orice therethrough so as to restrict the leakage of vapor from within the bellows I5. Thus, a pressure will be builtl up withinthe bellows l5 which will cause it to expand moving the yoke 26 to the right, rod I0 being moved out of notch 9 so as to release the latch member 8. AWhen this happens, the biasing spring 48 within valve l will move stem 2 upwardly closing the valve and causing the fulcrum 1 and the latch member 8 to be moved upwardly against the force of spring II. If the operator now releases the handle 6, spring II will act to move the latch member 8 and fulcrum 1 back into the positions shown on Fig. 1. and when bellows I5 contracts the parts will again be in latched position. When the nomle 44 is now pulled out of the trap, the parts will be in position for dispensing liquid nitrogen into the next trap.

From the foregoing those skilled in the art will observe that we have provided an efficient and positive acting mechanical arrangement for operating the automatic shutoi of the nozzle. Failure to operate because of lack of power of the operating mechanism is obviated since gas under positive pressure is utilized.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of the preferred form of our invention and it is intended that it be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, and that the scope of the invention be determined only in accordance with the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. In a fluid dispensing apparatus in combination, means forming a dispensing spout or nozzle, a control valve associated therewith, and automatic shutoff means associated rwith the valve for closing the valve in response to the filling up of the container into which liquid is being dispensed. said automatic shutoff means comprising a pressure responsive device and means for connecting said device to the vapor space of the source of liquid to be dispensed whereby the pressure of the vapor in said space may be utilized to actuate the pressure responsive device to permit the valve tobe closed.

2. In a fluid dispensing apparatus in combination, means forming a dispensing spout or nozzle, a control valve associated therewith, and automatic shutoff means associated with the valve for closing the valve in response to the filling up of the container into which liquid is being dispensed, said automatic shutoff means comprising a pressure responsive device, means for connecting said device to the vapor space of the source of liquid to be dispensed whereby the pressure of the vapor in said space may be utilized to actuate the pressure responsive device to permit the valve to be closed, and a second control valve for controlling the amount of pressure acting on said device, said second control valve having operatively associated therewith an expansible pressure chamber, said pressure chamber having a bleed line associated therewith so arranged that bleed of pressure from the bleed line is controlled by the level of the liquid in the container into which liquid is being dispensed.

3. In a fluid dispensing apparatus in combination, means forming a dispensing spout or nozzle, a control valve associated therewith, and automatic shutoff means associated with the valve for closing the valve in response to the filling up of the container into which liquid is being dispensed, said automatic shutoff means comprising a pressure responsive device, means for connecting said device to the vapor space of the source'of liquid to be dispensed whereby the pressure of the vapor in said space may be utilized to actuate the pressure responsive device to permit the valve to be closed, and a second control valve for controlling the amount of pressure acting on said device, said second control valve having operatively associated therewith an expansible pressure chamber having a bleed line associated therewith, the outlet of the bleed line being disposed in said nozzle so that as the liquid level rises in the container it covers the opening in the bleed line thereby to vary the rate of bleed therefrom.

4. In a pressure control system, in combination, means forming a pressure chamber having a pressure responsive control valve associated therewith for controlling the pressure Within said chamber, and a second pressure chamber operatively associated with said pressure responsive control valve for applying a control pressure to said valve, said second pressure chamber having a bleed line connected thereto for controlling the pressure within said second pressure chamber, said bleed line having its outlet opening arranged at a point such that it may be covered by liquid rising to a predetermined level in a container whereby to cover the bleed opening so as to thereby vary the rate of bleed therefrom.

5. In a iiuid dispensing apparatus for dispensing liquid from a storage tank, in combination, means forming a dispensing spout or nozzle,` a control valve associated therewith, and automatic shutoi means associated with the valve for closing the valve in response to the filling up of the container into which liquid is being dispensed, said automatic shuto' means comprising a pressure responsive device, and a connection between said pressure responsive device and that portion of the liquid storage tank which connes the vapor of such liquid whereby the vapor pressure of such liquid may be utilized to actuate the pressure responsive device to permit the valve to be closed.

6. In a iiuid dispensing apparatus for dispensing liquid from a liquid storage tank, in combination, means forming a dispensing spout or nozzle, a control valve associated therewith, and automatic shutoff means associated with the valve for closing the valve in response to the illing up of the container into which liquid is being dispensed, said automatic shutoff means comprising a pressure responsive device, and a connection between said pressure responsive device and'that portion u of the liquid storage tank which contains the vapor of such liquid, whereby the vapor pressure of such liquid may be utilized to actuate the pressure responsive device to permit the valve to be closed, at least a portion of said latter connection being'contiguous with at least a portion of said spout so as to effect a heat exchange relationship between said vapor and the liquid as it is being dispensed.

'1. In a fluid dispensing apparatus, in combination, means forming a dispensing spout or nozzle, a control valve associated therewith, and automatic shutoi means associated with the valve for closing the valve in response to the lling up of the container into which liquid is being dispensed, said automatic shutoff means comprising a pressure responsive device and means comprising a source-of gas pressure for actuating the pressure Aresponsive device, said pressure responsive device comprising a second control valve having mechanism embodying a pressure chamber and a bleed line aociated therewith said bleed line having its outlet opening disposed at a point on said nozzle such that it may be covered by liquid risingto a predetermined level in said container.

- tem, whereby,

8. In a iluid dispensing apparatus, in combination, means forming a dispensing spout or nozzle,v

a control valve associated therewith. and automatic shutoi! means associated with the valve for closing the valve in response to the filling up of the container into which liquid is being dispensed. said automatic shutoi means comprising a pressure system, a pressure responsive device for actuating said automatic shutoi means in response to the pressure within said system, an atmospheric vent communicating with said. system and positioned near the tip of said nozzle'sc as to be covered by the liquid being dispensed when said liquid reaches its desired level. and means for connecting said system to the vapor space of the source of the liquid being dispensed, whereby. upon the liquid in-said container attaining a level such as to cover said vent, the vapor of the liquid being dispensed acts to build up the pressure within said system and thereby effect the operation of said pressure responsive device and automatic shutoi means.

9. In a fluid dispensing apparatus for dispensing liquid from a storage tank, in combination, means forming a dispensing spout or nozzle, a control valve associated therewith, and automatic shutoff means associated with the valve for closing the-valve in response to the illling up of the container into which liquid is being dispensed, said automatic shutoff means comprising a pressure system, a pressure responsive device for actuating said automatic shutoff means in response to the pressure within said system, an atmospheric vent communicating with said system and positioned near the tip of said nozzle so as to be covered by the liquid being dispensed when said liquid reaches its desired level, and means communicating the vapor pressure within the storage tank for said liquid with said pressure sysupon the liquid in said container attaining a level such as to cover said vent, the vapor of the liquid being dispensed acts to build upv the pressure within said system and thereby efl'ect the operation of said pressure responsive device and automatic shutoff means.

10. In a fluid dispensing apparatus, in combination, means forming a dispensing spout or nozzle, a control valve associated therewith, and automatic shutoi means associated with the valve for closing the valve in response to the filling up of thecontainer into which liquid is being dispensed, said automatic shto means comprising a pressure chamber, a pressure responsive device for permitting the actuation of said automatic shutoi! means in response to the pressure within said chamber, means for connecting said chamber to the vapor space of the source of the liquid being dispensed, an amospheric vent for said chamber, and means for closing oi said atmospheric vent in response to the liquid reaching the desired level in the receiving container, whereby, upon the liquid reaching the desired level in said container, the closing oir of said atmospheric vent permits the vapor of the liquid being dispensed to buildup the pressure within said chamber sufiiciently to operate said pressure responsive device and automatic shutoi means.

11. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 10, wherein said last-named means includes a second pressure responsive device for closing oil' said atmospheric vent in response to the attainment of a critical pressure within said second chamber, and means for creating said critical pressure within said second chamber in response to the liquid reaching the desired level in the receiving container,` whereby. upon the liquid reaching the desired level in said container, said second pressure responsive device operates to close off said atmospheric vent permitting the vapor of the liquid being dispensed to build up the pressure within said iirst chamber sufllciently to operate said ilrst pressure responsive device and said automatic shutoil means.'

12. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 10, wherein said last-named means includes a second pressure chamber, a secondpressure responsive device for closing H said atmospheric vent in response ,to the pressure within said second chamber, a second 'atmospheric vent communicating with said second chamber and positioned near the tip of said nozzle so as to be covered by the liquid being dispensed when said liquid reaches its desired level, and means for applying the vapor pressure of the liquid being dispensed to said second chamber, whereby, upon the liquid in said container attaining a level such as to cover said second atmospheric vent, the vapor pressure of the liquid being dispensed becomes eiective to operate said second pressure responsive device and thereby close oi said rst atmospheric venty 2 whereupon said vapor pressure also becomes ef- Certiiicate of Correction Patent No. 2,489,028

CLIFTON B. GRAHAM. VINTON D. CARVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,706,942 Smith Mar. 26, 1929 2,226,533 Kriege et al Dec. 31, 1940 2,265,114 Hartley Dec. 2, 1941 Davis May 25, 1943 November 22, 1949 CLIFTON B. GRAHAM ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, line 69, after includes" insert the words and comma a second pressure chamber,

and that the said Letters Patent same may conform to the record Signed and sealed this th day of April, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

